UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is siding with Khamzat Chimaev to retain his middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event.
Chimaev is scheduled to defend his belt against Strickland on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in a five-round clash between the 15-0 champion (9-0 UFC, according to the article) and the 30-7 challenger (17-7 UFC, according to the article).
Breaking down the matchup, Aspinall highlighted what stands out to him about Chimaev. "I think Khamzat, to me, looks pretty unstoppable at the moment with his takedowns and stuff," Aspinall said.
He also weighed the striking and grappling dynamics between the two. "His striking, obviously, he's really dangerous with his striking, as well. I think Sean Strickland probably has a little bit of an edge in the striking department, but Khamzat's grappling, I don't know if Sean Strickland will be able to get up off the bottom enough times. That being said, I know Sean's coach. I've actually trained with Sean a little bit, as well – only a tiny bit, though. But I know a lot of people who are close to him and everyone keeps saying how good he is at getting up off the bottom."
Aspinall ultimately gave his official pick: "The verdict is, for me, Khamzat by decision, I think," he said, adding, "I think it will be a little more competitive than the DDP fight, but I think Khamzat by decision."
